§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions exist in the market in milk quotas across the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. CurryUnder the EC milk quota regulations the permanent transfer of quota is linked to land transactions. Detailed rules governing the transfer of quota are contained in the Dairy Produce Quotas Regulations 1991. Under these regulations wholesale quota which accounts for about 97 per cent. of milk produced in the United Kingdom is managed on a regional basis in the United Kingdom. This means that it may be transferred only within each of the eight regions which are defined under the regulations. England and Wales and the Scilly Isles are defined as one region; so too is Northern Ireland; and there are six regions in Scotland. Direct sales quota is required by EC rules to he managed on a national basis, so transfers are not subject to similar regional restrictions.
New EC regulations will govern milk quota administration from 1 April 1993. We will be revising the United Kingdom DPQR once the new EC detailed rules have been agreed.